Marking its 70th anniversary in 2025, the Ljubljana Biennale of Graphic Arts unveils the artists and participants of its 36th edition, The Oracle: On Fantasy and Freedom, curated by Chus Martínez. The Biennale presents art as embodying an extraordinary place—a fantastic site—from which to think in freedom. How can we present the wonder of making art, so that it appears as an ally, as a world-transforming force? This Biennale honours the countless individuals—artists, educators, organisers, scholars, citizens, and cultural workers—whose enduring engagement sustains, fosters, and champions the vital importance of public culture.
The Oracle
The exhibition unfolds across multiple spaces, tracing a continuum through the heart of the city of Ljubljana. The imaginary core is a puppet at the Museum of Modern Art (Moderna galerija – MG+) and you could then move up to Tivoli Park and explore The International Centre of Graphic Arts (MGLC) with two locations: Grad Tivoli and Švicarija. While Grad Tivoli is inhabited by ghosts illuminating your path, it will be in Švicarija that you will encounter the key to the reversal of world’s pain. With this you will cross the park again and enter the well of fortune, down in the middle of town, at the City Art Gallery Ljubljana (Mestna galerija Ljubljana). However, you may reverse the order of your visit as you wish, since every exhibition receives its form from the visitor’s journey within it.
A biennial is the realisation that art demands our collective bodies to move through space and that this movement in itself generates meanings, desires, and possibilities.
Togetherness is the revolution.
Artists listed by venue
MGLC Grad Tivoli
Gabi Dao, Silvan Omerzu, Svetlana Makarovič, Gabriel Abrantes, Canan, and Maria Arnal
MGLC Švicarija
Silvan Omerzu, Svetlana Makarovič, Joan Jonas, Miles Howard-Wilks, and Vesna Petrešin with Prof Dr Eugen Petrešin
Tivoli Park
Sinzo Aanza, Kathrin Siegrist, and Tarta Relena
Museum of Modern Art (MG+)
Kathrin Siegrist, Maria Arnal, Silvan Omerzu, Ajša Pengov, Svetlana Makarovič, Noor Abed, Nohemí Pérez, Jane Jin Kaisen, Roman Khimei and Yarema Malashchuk, Juan Pérez Agirregoikoa, Aili Vint, Derek Tumala, Eduardo Navarro, Mladen Stropnik, Manuela Morales Délano, and Ema Kugler
City Art Gallery Ljubljana
Mayte Gómez Molina and Ingo Niermann, Svetlana Makarovič, Takeshi Yasura, Saelia Aparicio, and Nicole L’Huillier
The Oracle: On Fantasy and Freedom, upcoming book published by Sternberg Press
Manca G. Renko, Maja Petrović-Šteger, Sadie Plant, Renata Salecl, and Svetlana Slapšak
The analysis and conceptualisation of the space with architect Olga Subirós, a dear friend and a key person in this project, and Leire Román is a fundamental element, as is the visualisation of the graphics with Grupa Ee. But also essential for the audience to know is the team that makes the exhibition possible, from the assistant curator Ajda Ana Kocutar to the production team: Yasmín Martín Vodopivec, Matjaž Brulc, Dušan Dovč, Lili Šturm, Petra Klučar, Božidar Zrinski, Vesna Česen Rošker, Karla Železnik, Gregor Dražil, Jakob Puh, Sanja Kejžar Kladnik, and Nicola Jeffs as international press officer.
Important players in this Biennale are also Nevenka Šivavec, the artistic director and CEO of the International Centre of Graphic Arts (MGLC) and the initiator and organiser of the Biennale, as well as the directors of the two co-producing institutions of this edition: Martina Vovk, director of Museum of Modern Art (Moderna galerija – MG+) and Barbara Sterle Vurnik, director of City Art Gallery Ljubljana (Mestna galerija Ljubljana, MGML).
Fundamental as well are the friends and patrons of the Biennale, which is imminently public and financed by the City of Ljubljana and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia.
The producer and coproducers of the 36th Ljubljana Biennale are: International Centre of Graphic Arts (MGLC), Museum of Modern Art (Moderna galerija – MG+), and City Art Gallery (Mestna galerija Ljubljana, MGML).
The partners of this edition are: Ljubljana Castle, National Museum of Contemporary History of Slovenia, Ljubljana Puppet Theatre and Museum of Puppetry, TBA21 Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary, and Schering Stiftung.
The Biennale is supported by: National Center for Art Research, Japan; SAHA Association; Institute Art Gender Nature HGK Basel FHNW; Mondriaan Fund; Acción Cultural Española (AC/E); Embassy of Spain in Slovenia; Danish Arts Foundation; Pro Helvetia; James Howell Foundation; Institut Ramon Llull; Mousse; Gemeinde Riehen; Art Jameel; Fachausschuss Film und Medienkunst Basel-Stadt / Basel-Landschaft; Kunstkredit Basel-Stadt; Han Nefkens Foundation; Etxepare Euskal Institutua; Estonian Ministry of Culture; Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art; Arts Project Australia; Colección Oxenford; Pontevedra Art Biennial; The Vega Foundation; Pfyl Stiftung; Hitay Foundation; Stiftung Erna und Curt Burgauer; Mercedes Vilardell; Gabriela Galcerán; Pieter and Marina Meijer-von Tscharner; Nicoletta Fiorucci Foundation; and Batalha Centro de Cinema.
Chus Martínez, Artistic Director of the 36th Ljubljana Biennale of Graphic Arts, Head of Art Gender Institute at HGK/FHNW and Associate Curator at TBA21 Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary
